Multi-direction slot machine pay lines

ABSTRACT

Slot machines utilize one or more pay lines on which a combination of symbols are lined up to determine whether a particular pay line wagered is a winner according to a pay table that shows winning combinations with associated pays. Players are able to place wagers or bets of varying amounts on the pay lines and the machine pays out based on the amount wagered and the number of winning pay line combinations displayed. The present invention enhances game play by offering players the opportunity to choose whether to wager on a pay line that runs right-to-left or left-to-right without changing the probabilities of winning. Or, alternatively, of offering the player the option to wager on pay lines that run in both directions with a weighting of the win probabilities.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/175,069, filed 4 May 2009, by the present inventor, DianaGruber, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

STATEMENT OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains materialwhich is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the PTO patent file orrecords, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A pay line is a line on a slot machine screen or viewing area used todetermine a winner. If certain pre-defined reel symbols (e.g., three“BARS” or three “7's”) stop in the positions crossed by the pay line,the player wins a factor of the amount bet according to a pay table.

Over time, the number of pay lines available to a player for play of aparticular game has grown, and now multiple pay lines are a key featurein the rise of player interest in video slots. In FIG. 2, arepresentative example of a 5-reel video slot machine having 10 paylines is illustrated. This example depicts the way in which pay lines ona multiple pay line slot machine sometimes zig and zag across thedifferent reel positions displayed on the screen. Traditionally, slotmachines have pay lines that read left-to-right (L-R) so that winningcombinations must appear on the 1st, 2^(nd), 3^(rd), etc. reels/stripsin a predetermined order to qualify. (In other words, an otherwisewinning combination appearing on the 3^(rd), 4^(th) and 5^(th)reels/strips will not qualify as a win.)

Some prior art examples can be found on games that either have pay linesrunning from the far right reel/strip leftward (i.e., Right-to-Left), orelse that allow the starting position of the pay lines to be shifted tothe 2^(nd), 3^(rd), etc. reels/strips.

U.S. Pat. No. 7,399,226 to Mishra ('226) describes a slots game in whichpay lines can run either left-to-right or right-to-left. (See Column 9,line 44-Column 10, line 12.) Mishra '226 fails to disclose arrangingsymbol positions and relative weights identically on the 1st and lastreels (this is a three-reel game) so that odds parity occurs in eitherdirection of the pay line.

U.S. Publication No. 2007/0191087 to Thomas et al. ('087) teaches theconcept of shifting the starting reel position for purposes of pay linedetermination. Thomas et al. '087 does not disclose the concept of paylines running in the direction right-to-left, nor of establishing symbolpositions and relative weights identically on the 1st and 5th reels andalso on the 2nd and 4th reels.

U.S. Publication No. 2008/0051180 to Okada ('180) teaches a slots gamethat allows, under certain circumstances, the pay line symbols to berearranged in the event a winning combination is not achieved in thefirst instance in the typical left-to-right direction. (See Abstract andParagraph [0011].) Okada '180 does not disclose matching the symbolpositions and relative weights on the 1st and 5th reels (or 1st andlast) and requiring the player to pre-select either left-to-right,right-to-left, or both directions of pay line flow.

U.S. Publication No. 2009/0048010 to Kroeckel et al. ('010) brieflymentions (in Paragraph [0195]) that winning combinations could payright-to-left or left-to-right. However, Kroeckel et al. '010 does notestablish the symbol positions and relative weights identically on the1st and last reels and also on the 2nd and 4th reels so that there is nochange in game odds if the player chooses to play a pay line that runsright-to-left instead of left-to-right.

Game odds and payout are strictly monitored by the local gamingcommission. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved gameapparatus and method that allows the player to choose whether to play apay line that runs right-to-left instead of left-to-right withoutchanging the odds, or alternatively of allowing the player to choose toplay pay lines that run in both directions with a mere doubling of theodds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a 5 reel slot machine showing representative reel symbolcombinations displayed;

FIG. 2 is a depiction of the screen of a prior art video slot machinewith multiple pay lines across 5 reels;

FIG. 3 is a 5 reel slot machine of FIG. 1 with an enlarged depiction ofthe reels;

FIG. 4 shows an expanded view of a single reel of a slot machine withrelative symbol positions and probability weights; and

FIG. 5 shows a reel map representation of a 5 reel slot machine with anexample of relative symbol positions and weighs.

SPECIFICATIONS DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 3-5, wherein like numerals indicate like orcorresponding parts throughout the several views, an exemplary slotmachine is generally shown at 10 in FIG. 1. For the sake of convenience,the slot machine 10 is illustrated with mechanical reels 12 arrangedside-by-side in typical fashion. The reels 12 are depicted as being ofthe mechanical type; however this invention is equally applicable tovideo slots game applications. Here, five reels 12 are shown, althoughthe concepts of this invention can be implemented on 3, 4, and more than5-reel machines. Of course, the reels 12 spin independently of eachother.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 4, the reels 12 have a generallycylindrical construction or are graphically depicted to imitate acylindrical or strip-like representation on a viewing screen. Forpurposes of illustration only, the reel 12 shown in FIG. 4 includesalpha-numeric designators 14 representative of symbols used during aplay of a slots game. The symbols 14 will change from one game title tothe next and are shown here as alpha-numeric designators for purposes ofillustrating the underlying principles of this invention.

The reels 12, whether in actual physical three-dimensional form or asvideo projections, include symbols 14 which are arranged around thecircumference. Each symbol 14 occupies a character space S such that itsdistance from the next adjacent symbol 14 is generally fixed throughoutplay of the game.

FIG. 5 is a table depicting the arrangement of symbols on each of thefive reels 12 (R1-R5). Each Position (0-21) represents a space S aboutthe circumference of the reel 12 (either mechanical or virtual). Thus,in the example of FIG. 5, the reels 12 have twenty-two spaces (Positions0-21) and thus twenty-two distinct symbols 14 arranged thereabout. (Ofcourse, it is possible for symbols 14 to repeat as dictated by themathematics of the particular game being played.) Furthermore, eachsymbol 14 is provided with an associated Weight (1, 2 or 3) whichaffects the odds that symbol 14 will appear along the central pay line.In the example of FIG. 5, the weighting of the symbol C_09 located atposition 16 of Reel 1 is “3.” This weighting signifies that themathematical probability of symbol C_09 in position 16 ending up on aparticular pay line at the conclusion of a game is 3 times as likely asa symbol with a weighting of 1 ending up on the particular pay line,such as symbol A_02 located at position 5 on Reel 1 which has aweighting of “1.” The differing Weights, as well as the sequence ofsymbols 14, affect the probabilities of symbol combinations of the gamewhich are designed into the game system by a developer.

The basic concept of this invention is to set up the reels 12 in amulti-slot machine (either traditional mechanical reels or simulatedvideo reels) so that the symbol “positions” and relative “weights” areidentical on a matched pair of reels that are located around a middle orcentral reel. In the case of a 5 reel slot machine, the middle reel isthe third reel or R3 in FIG. 5. The matched pairs are the 1st and lastreels, and then again on the second and fourth reels. In a machine withgreater numbers of reels, each reel 12 is paired with a matchedcounterpart—although in a game having an odd number of reels (eg., 3, 5or 7), the center reel 12 will not have a counterpart. Thus, in theexample of a 5-reel game, the symbol 14 arrangements (includingsequence, Positions and Weights) will be identical on the 1st and 5threels, and also on the 2nd and 4th reels. When set up this way, the payline can run either direction without affecting the odds.

Take note of how the reels 12 minor each other in the sample reel layoutof FIG. 5. Reel 5 (R5) looks exactly like Reel 1 (R1), and Reel 4 (R4)looks exactly like Reel 2 (R2). When slot machine reels/strips aremirrored in this way, the game will play the same whether pay lines arecalculated from left-to-right or from right-to-left. The game will haveexactly the same mathematical properties (i.e., Expected Value or EV)regardless of which direction a symmetrical payline is read.

According to this invention, the pay line direction is made a matter ofplayer choice, provided the payline is symmetrical about a left-rightcenter point. In the case of the pay lines shown in FIG. 2, theinvention works for pay lines 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10, but not for thosepaylines that are not left-right symmetrical around a center point likepay lines 6, 7, 8 and 9. The player will be presented with three buttons16, 18, 20 like those shown in FIG. 3. Players will be allowed to choosewhether pay line directions will run left-to-right (button 16) orright-to-left (button 18) with no change whatsoever in game odds. Theplayer must select the direction of play before the reels are spun.(i.e., he can not choose directions after the reels have stopped.) For asimple doubling of the bet (button 20), the player can have the playlines run both directions (L-R and R-L). The player may choose whichdirection to play based on how he feels his luck is going, or bywhatever criteria occurs to him. Mathematically, it is all the same tothe game operator. So individual spins will result in different pays L-Rand R-L, but EVs will be identical over the entire cycle.

If the player chooses to play both directions, it would require a bettwice the size as playing one direction. For example, if the playerplays 25 lines at 20 credits per line, he would be playing 500 creditseither left-to-right or right-to-left. If he chooses both directions, itwould be a 1000 credit bet, and equivalent to playing 50 lines.

The foregoing invention has been described in accordance with therelevant legal standards, thus the description is exemplary rather thanlimiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosedembodiment may become apparent to those skilled in the art and fallwithin the scope of the invention. Accordingly the scope of legalprotection afforded this invention can only be determined by studyingthe following claims.

1. A method of wagering on a pay line in a slot machine comprising:establishing at least one matched pair of reels including a plurality ofsymbols positioned in the same sequential order; providing anopportunity to select payline direction as one or more of “left,”“right,” or “both.” initiating play on the slot machine; determiningwhether a win has occurred on one or more pay lines wagered inaccordance with the selected payline direction.
 2. The method of claim 1wherein the plurality of symbols on the matched pair of reels hasmatched weight values.
 3. The method of claim 1 further comprisingestablishing at least one middle reel situated between the at least onematched pair of reels.
 4. The method of claim 1 further including aplurality of paylines on which to wager.
 5. The method of claim 1wherein the pay line is a straight, horizontal line configured such thatthe final reel stop position for each reel is aligned to be in the samerelative position in the viewing area to the reel adjacent to it acrossall reels.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the pay line is symmetricalabout a center point.
 7. A method of wagering on a payline in a slotmachine comprising: establishing one matched pair of reels including aplurality of symbols positioned in the same sequential order;establishing a middle reel situated between the at least one matchedpair of reels; providing an opportunity to select payline direction asone or more of “left,” “right” or “both.” initiating play on the slotmachine; determining whether a win has occurred on one or more paylineswagered in accordance with the selected payline direction.
 8. The methodof claim 7 wherein the middle reel is not matched to any other reel. 9.The method of claim 7 further comprising at least one additional matchedpair of reels including a plurality of symbols positioned in the samesequential order wherein one reel in each at least one additional pairset is situated on either side of the one matched pair of reels.
 10. Themethod of claim 7 wherein the plurality of symbols on the matched pairof reels has matched weight values.
 11. The method of claim 7 furtherincluding a plurality of paylines on which to wager.
 12. The method ofclaim 7 wherein the payline is a straight, horizontal line configuredsuch that the final reel stop position for each reel is aligned to be inthe same relative position in the viewing area to the reel adjacent toit across all reels.
 13. The method of claim 7 wherein the pay line issymmetrical about a center point.
 14. A slot machine comprising: atleast one matched pair of reels including a plurality of symbolspositioned in the same sequential order; a pay line that is selectablefrom at least two of the following directions “left,” “right,” or“both.”
 15. The slot machine of claim 14 further comprising a middlereel situated between the at least one matched pair of reels.
 16. Theslot machine of claim 14 further comprising a plurality of paylines onwhich to wager.
 17. The slot machine of claim 14 wherein the paylinefurther comprises a straight, horizontal line configured such that thefinal reel stop position for each reel is aligned to be in the samerelative position in the viewing area to the reel adjacent to it acrossall reels.
 18. The slot machine of claim 14 wherein the payline issymmetrical about a center point.
 19. The slot machine of claim 14wherein the payline further comprises a configuration that issymmetrical about a center point.
 20. The slot machine of claim 15wherein the middle reel is not matched to another reel.